CANTON -- It will cost nearly $70,000 to attend St. Lawrence University next year.

SLU's Board of Trustees has voted to set the 2018-19 comprehensive fee at $68,980, an increase of 3.5 percent over this year’s rate for tuition, room, board and fees, the same rate of increase as the last four years.

"Trustees are mindful that our families make a significant investment in the St. Lawrence education," President William L. Fox said in a news release.

"They expect nothing less than exceptional liberal arts experiences that support exceptional outcomes."

A recent survey by the University's Office of Career Services reported that 2016 St. Lawrence graduates experienced a 97 percent placement rate in either a job or graduate school less than one year after graduation. Of the survey respondents, 78 percent were pursuing a career, and 19 percent were attending graduate school.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the nationwide career outcome rate for all 2016 graduates was 81 percent, and for institutions comparable to St. Lawrence was 91 percent.

In January, The Princeton Review named St. Lawrence as having the nation's No. 3 Best Alumni Network in its annual guide Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Schools That Give You the Best Bang for Your Tuition Buck. In its Best 382 Colleges: 2018 Edition, The Princeton Review named St. Lawrence one of the nation’s best colleges for students seeking a superb education with great career preparation at an affordable price.

The college guide also included the University in the second edition its book, Colleges That Create Futures: 50 Schools That Launch Careers by Going Beyond the Classroom.

Kiplinger's Personal Finance included St. Lawrence on its list of the Best College Values of 2018, including the University on its list of 100 Best Value in Private Liberal Arts Colleges. St. Lawrence was also included in 2018 Fiske Guide to Colleges, an annual list of colleges and universities that offer the best academic experience for an affordable price.